Knowledge for Development

Kenyan firm wants to harness water hyancith

Author:

Date: 29/07/2008

Introduction:

Simon Njoroge Mwaura, the CEO, Hyacinth Inc, Kenya wants to succeed where science has not in taming the notorious and invasive water hyacinth from the Kenyan waters. Speaking in Nairobi recently while announcing an oncoming conference in September aimed at brining together all organisations handling water hyacinth, Mwaura revealed that Hyaquip has designed a water hyacinth processing equipment to harvest, process and utilize the hyacinth, other water mash plants and plants with soft tissues as raw material to manufacture organic fertiliser. The harvested hyacinth is processed into raw material for commercial use, i.e. fertilizers after drying and extracting 95 percent of its water content. The company has utilized this troublesome weed as a golden weed that will provide the world with much needed organic fertilizers and will benefit developing countries mainly in Africa to utilize the weed that is available in hundred's of acres in the fresh waters mainly lakes, rivers and large ponds (Source: by Henry Neondo, African Science News Serivce, 25 June 2008).